Gene-O-Matic
Gene-O-Matic is a simulator for genetic networks. In contrast to many
of the simulation tools available today,
Gene-O-Matic offers an
intuitive graphical representation of the network to simulate. What is
more,
Gene-O-Matic is not restrained to single cells - it can also
simulate interactions between moving and dividing cells! The genetic
network can be used to control cell cycle and cell division. Therefore
Gene-O-Matic is the ideal tool to simulate complex biological processes such as
cell differentiation and embryonic development.
The simulation algorithm is described in
(
Platzer and Meinzer, 2002).
The nematode
C. elegans is one of the model organsism in
developmental biology. Its transparent egg shell and invariant cell
lineage have made it an excellent object of study. Much is known about
the genes that regulate early embryonic development and the
differentiation of basic cell types. We have compiled a genetic
network that consists of less than 20 proteins and RNAs and
nonetheless is sufficient to correctly control cell type development
in the worm embryo up to the 24-cell-stage. During this process, cell
positions and intercellular contacts play an important role. Without
them, worm development is disrupted as early as the four-cell-stage. The
successful simulation with
Gene-O-Matic therefore demonstrates
convincingly the applicability of the tool to the simulation of very
complex developmental processes. More details about this simulation
can be found in (
Platzer, 2003)
and (
Platzer and Meinzer, 2004).
Under construction...
Under construction...